BREAKING: EEOC Rules in Favor of Transgender Woman in Title VII Case
[Photo: Mia Macy, whose case led to an unprecedented decision by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and her wife, Trish. (Photo courtesy of the Macys.)]
In tonight’s exclusive series, “Transgender Breakthrough,” Metro Weekly reports:
An employer who discriminates against an employee or applicant on the basis of the person’s gender identity is violating the prohibition on sex discrimination contained in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to an opinion issued on April 20 by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The opinion, experts say, could dramatically alter the legal landscape for transgender workers across the nation.
In a news release overnight, the National Center for Transgender Equality’s executive director, Mara Keisling, celebrated the news, saying, “This ruling is a major advancement in transgender rights that will provide a significant tool to fight discrimination. It will also help us advocate for still needed protections like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and the federal contractors executive order.”
To that end, Tico Almeida, the founder and president of Freedom to Work, said in a statement, “The EEOC’s strong and historic ruling in favor of workplace fairness for transgender Americans should be adopted by all federal agencies, including the Department of Labor as it enforces the existing executive order banning gender discrimination at federal contractors. We call on Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and her staff to issue new guidance for federal contractors to inform them that they cannot discriminate against transgender Americans while profiting from taxpayer-funded contracts.”
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READ the news report; Metro Weekly‘s interview with Mia Macy, the woman at the center of the EEOC case; and the process for case resolution at the EEOC:
DOWNLOAD and READ the EEOC decision: EEOC_re_MMacy_042012_distribution.pdf
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